On Wednesday, Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford announced the city would be the first in the United States to provide OLPC computers to students in the public schools. 15,000 laptops will be purchased and distributed on April 15, 2008 to all city students in grades 1-8.
"Our students will have access to global thinking now," said Birmingham schools Superintendent Stan Mims. "It becomes a tipping point in the digital divide."
If one should become lost, stolen, etc the school system will have the ability to remotely disable the machine.
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), the organization creating an inexpensive computer for international school children that spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, released an announcement on Friday about the project. The $100 goal per computer looks like it will not happen, at least for now. The Friday announcement states that the devices will actually cost $188 when they go into the production phase this fall. This is $12 more than an earlier projected price of $176. In addition, OLPC is now describing the $100 price tag as a "long-term goal".
I've written about the OLPC project and laptops in the past - MIT Media Lab founder and Chairman Emeritus Nicholas Negroponte was originally involved in this project and it has continued to be linked to the lab. Here's a video of John Maeda , associate director of the MIT Media Lab. At the lab John also leads the Physical Language Workshop.
OLPC has coined these device as "XO" model computers that use a child friendly version of the Linux based open source operating system, built in low-power wireless networking, a display that can easily be seen in the day, a speaker and microphone and a pull cord for hand recharging. You may recall earlier prototypes had a hand crank for recharging. The first ones are being made by Quanta Computer, a Taiwanese computer manufacturer.
One of the fundamental concepts of this project is to get computers into as many students hands as possible and let them tinker with them in an effort to stimulate and enhance creativity, like many of the educational toys many of us have bought for our children. Cost is critical and even though $188 per computer is still relatively inexpensive, each dollar cost increase is significant. After being given an initial cost estimate of $100, a $188 price tag may prevent some countries from signing on to the project with OLPC.
OLPC says it has commitments for at least 3 million of its rugged "XO" computers, though it won't disclose which countries are first in line. Among the nations that have shown interest are Brazil, Libya, Thailand and Uruguay.
**** Read Show Notes and listen to Mike Q and my latest Podcast titled Micro-blogging linked here. Podcasts also free on iTunes. ****
Thanks for visiting. I'm Gordon, past National Science Foundation Funded Centers of Excellence Director and Co-Director at Springfield Technical Community College and University of Central Florida, past Visiting Engineering Professor at the University of Hartford, currently an Adjunct Professor at Pace University and an Engineering Professor at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts. I’ve authored four engineering and engineering technology textbooks and have over 40 years of engineering, technology, communications and IT teaching experience. In addition to my teaching and work with NSF Centers of Excellence, I've served as the Verizon Next Step New England telecommunications curriculum leader and on several business and technology boards around the United States including the Microsoft Community College Advisory Council, the Massachusetts Networking and Communications Council and the National Skill Standards Board.
I am one of the co founders of the Hi-Tec Conference that annually brings 500-600 academic, business and industry representatives to explore the convergence of scientific disciplines, engineering and technologies.
In 2001, I was selected as one of the top 15 STEM faculty in the United States by Microsoft and the American Association of Community Colleges and in 2004 was selected as the Massachusetts Network and Communications Council Workforce Leader of the year.
I am also certified by the International Distance Education Certification Center as a Certified Distance Education Instructor.
